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Mark Askew to leave Gordon Ramsay Holdings

Gordon Ramsay Holdings’ (GRH) executive head chef Mark Askew is to leave the business, it was revealed this evening.

He will leave the celebrity chef’s restaurant empire in January to be operations director of a pub company that he co-founded.

A GRH spokesperson said: “We can confirm that Mark Askew is leaving GRH in the New Year to pursue a new opportunity as operations director.

“He has been an integral figure at GRH over the years and on behalf of the whole team, we would like to thank him for all his efforts and wish him all the best for the future.”

Askew first began working with Ramsay in the mid-1990s when he joined Aubergine as chef de partie, before quickly being promoted to sous chef, and is widely regarded as a key component of GRH’s success.

Following a stint working in France at Maison de Bricourt and Michel Bras, Askew returned to the UK as Aubergine’s head chef.

He worked alongside Ramsay at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay on Royal Hospital Road, which opened in 1998. It was awarded its third Michelin stars after just four years of service.

When Clare Smyth took over as head chef, Askew moved to his current role as executive head chef of the group.

Commenting on Askew’s forthcoming departure, Ramsay said: “I have worked closely with Mark for many years. He is a talented and inspirational chef who has been instrumental in supporting some of our most successful openings, including Maze, Petrus, and Gordon Ramsay at Claridges.

“I would like to thank him for all that he has done and I wish him every success in his new role.”